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Bruce Holland

Could you be missing out on three-quarters of your business opportunities?

Most sales people and other service providers make a fatal assumption that their customers want to be treated the way they want to be treated. The trouble is data from hundreds of thousands of people (Herrmann International's research) shows people are fundamentally different from each other. They are so different, it's almost as though they were painted in different colours - 26 percent of the population are blue, 24% are green, 26% are red and 24% are yellow.

Therefore (for example), if a green service provider assumes that everyone wants to be treated like green people do, they will miss out on three-quarters of the business opportunities.

This would not be so bad if each colour was only a little bit different, but often their needs and expectations are exact opposites of each other, so there is a high chance of getting it totally wrong.

The secret

There's something that great salespeople do intuitively and this is why they succeed. It's also why some people are far better advisers and influencers than others.

Great salespeople, influencers and advisers know it's what the customer wants that matters, not what they want. They understand their own colour, and how to flex (move) into their customer's colour. They put themselves into their customer's quadrant, feel the way the customer feels, look at the world the way the customer looks at the world and gives the customer what they need.

Their secret is to know customers come in four different colours, or to use Herrmann's terms:

A. Thinkers expect you to be brief, clear and precise. They want ideas in a logical format, data and facts. It's important to have your numbers ready and expect them to be challenged and debated. Let them use their skills in analysis and knowledge.

B. Organisers expect detailed documentation, step by step presentations, practical details including who, what, where and when. They will expect explanations of how it will happen, proof that you've done it before, references and background examples, presentations that exactly fit their organisation, and presentations that exactly match the handouts. Let them use their organising skills. Get the details right.

C. Humanitarians expect you to loosen up, not to be too formal or direct. They want to establish rapport first. Don't forget the personal touch. They expect you to consider others who are involved. They expect you to share feelings. Pay attention to nonverbal communication and make eye contact. Give them a chance to show their feelings and don't be afraid to show yours.

D. Innovators expect you to provide the big picture first. They want ideas introduced in chunks. Allow time for ambiguity and spontaneity. They expect you to use your imagination and think about future implications. It's important to use metaphors and pictures. Have fun. Don't be too serious. Let them use their imagination.

Just imagine the competitive power in your organisation if everyone knew this secret and how to deliver glove fitting service to each type.
How to turn your people into great salespeople, influencers and advisers
Other salespeople, influencers and advisers make the fatal assumption and fall on their face three times out of four.

It does not have to be this way. While great intuitive salespeople, influencers and advisers are rare, everyone can learn these skills. It is not magic (although it appears so). It is the result of learning simple skills that take no more than a day to learn.

Here's the cost benefit analysis

Cost, one days training
Benefit, increase in business opportunities 300%.

Call to action

If you'd like to score 4 out of 4 opportunities instead of 1 out of 4, let me know. These are odds you can't ignore.